Portret van een meisje en hond op een fauteuil 1880 - 1883

Jan Goedeljee, a Dutch artist, made this small portrait of a girl and her dog in an armchair, using photography sometime in the 19th century. The image speaks volumes about the social conventions of its time. The carefully posed subject, the formal attire, and the presence of a domesticated animal all suggest a society that valued order and control, and reflect the bourgeois domesticity of the Netherlands during that period. It evokes the rise of the middle class and their embrace of sentimental values, where children and pets were symbols of family cohesion. The choice of photography as a medium also marks a shift in artistic practices, with new technologies shaping how we capture and represent reality. As historians, we can delve into archives, consult period literature, and analyze fashion trends to fully grasp the image's meaning. This portrait becomes a window into a particular moment in time, inviting us to reflect on the ever-evolving relationship between art, society, and the institutions that shape them.